Friday, February 09, 2007

Pipeline speculation?

Compare the comments made by president Yushchenko today, quoted in the article below from 'Kyiv Weekly' entitled 'President shrugs pipelines speculations', to those made by President Putin last week, and contained in my previous blog.

"President Viktor Yushchenko disapproves of political speculations about the Ukrainian gas transportation system. He made this statement in his speech to public and business representatives of Germany.

"There will be not a single speculation about the gas transportation system," he said.Yushchenko noted here that he did not authorize anyone to conduct talks about the future of the gas transportation system on behalf of Ukraine.

"I did not mandate anyone to conduct talks about this, not at all, neither the Prime Minister nor the minister of energy nor NAK Naftohaz [Ukrainy]," he said.

The President insists that it is up to the people to choose the future for the gas transportation system.

"A political decision accepted by the people will go first," Viktor Yushchenko said.The president's position is that the gas transportation system cannot be transferred to other countries for management or ownership.

Russia [?] had earlier made an announcement about the talks with Ukraine on joining gas transportation assets."

p.s. LEvko recommends this article from 'Kyiv Weekly' which sheds light on recent developments in Ukrainian politics, in particular about how a bi-partisan system may be formed by BYT and the Party of Regions, and how possible changes to the Constitution may be made on the expansion of regional self-government.